Tom Burke

October 2025
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When I was in fourth grade, my teacher initiated the concept of weekly handwriting awards. This was long before the digital age, and I suspect this was her response to dozens of illegible homework assignments. The good news was that previous recipients were ineligible for future rewards. Everyone had a chance to be a winner!

As the weeks went on, I witnessed other classmates be acknowledged, until finally no one remained unrewarded but me. Then my week came … and Patty DiMinno won her second award.

Did this sting? Absolutely. I was embarrassed. But the truth is, it was an appropriate assessment of my handwriting, which was indecipherable (and still is). There was no question anymore — when it came to handwriting, I had failed.

Human beings don’t like the idea of failure. It makes us uncomfortable. So we hand out “participation trophies.” As adults, we are bombarded with messages asserting that we are all winners.¹ We are told that there is no such thing as “the truth,” only “your truth,” so none of us is wrong. But is this honest? Is this truly helpful?

I’m sure that you are familiar with modern-day archery. The goal is to plant your arrow in the bullseye. But surrounding that bullseye are a series of rings. Even if you miss the bullseye, you can draw some satisfaction from knowing that you (unlike Tom) at least hit one of the rings.

However, traditionally there were no rings, only a target. Thus, in practice or in an actual battle, one either hit the mark or missed the mark. Missing the mark meant failure. Period.

God has a “target” as well — righteousness, as defined by the law. And none of us receive an award.

Romans 3:23 (King James Version)For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

The Greek word here translated as “sinned” is the Greek word hamartano,² which literally means to miss the mark. When it comes to righteousness, all of mankind has missed the mark. We have fallen short. We have failed.

Hurtful to hear? Yes. Cruel? No.

Our common ancestor, Adam, willfully chose to disobey God. Due to that choice, each of us was born “off the mark.” At the point of Adam’s disobedience, God could have chosen to abandon Adam’s race forever. Instead, He initiated a plan to restore us to perfect righteousness through His son Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:9–10 (New International Version)But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.

You will note that in verse 9 we see that Jesus, by his death, paid the price for everyone. Yet verse 10 states that, as a result, many are brought to glory. Why the discrepancy? Because in order for one to benefit from that gracious gift, they must accept it. And in order to accept it, they must believe that they need it.

Many do not realize that this is perhaps the main reason for the giving of the law: not to oppress us, but to show us the kind of life that God deems to be righteous, and by this demonstrate to us that we can never achieve it by our own devices.³

Romans 3:20 (King James Version)Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Can it be any clearer? “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified.” Jesus made this same point in his many dealings with the Pharisees. One notable incident is recorded in the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 5:30–32 (King James Version)But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus’ statement was not untrue. He came to call sinners to repentance. The problem lay not in Jesus’ words, but in the Pharisees hearts. They fully believed that they were righteous, by their own works, and had no need of help. The general public believed this about them as well, which is why they were so startled by one particular statement of Jesus recorded in Matthew chapter five.

Matthew 5:20 (King James Version)For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus’ point, of course, was that no matter how disciplined one might become, even if that individual appeared outwardly to follow every jot and tittle of the law, the inward person, the heart, was an entirely different matter. As ones born off the mark, “our hearts have a mind of their own.” Even the Pharisees.⁴

Sadly, the Pharisees, and many others since their time, have refused to respond to God’s gracious offer. Despite the patently obvious evidence of their own hearts, they have resisted the call of Peter and others like him to “repent … in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” (Acts 2:38)⁵
Rather than admit to having missed the mark, they have doubled down on their own supposed righteousness. They have become like the men the Apostle Paul describes as individuals whose conscience has been cauterized.⁶

In short, some would rather die than admit that they have fallen short, missed the mark, failed. Thus, though Jesus died for all, only some will accept God’s bestowed righteousness in exchange for their own filthy rags.⁷

Again, it is so important to remember that God did not create mankind in this sad and sinful state. Adam chose it. It was only due to God’s love that we are now presented with a way out, a life free from missing the mark.

John 3:16–18 (King James Version)For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus did not come to condemn: he came to offer freedom from condemnation. He did not come to judge: he came to free us from the consequences of a future judgment.

John 12:47–48 (King James Version)And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Missing the mark is embarrassing. Failure is painful. But it does have the benefit of showing me exactly where I stand, if I am willing to accept it.

Isaiah 53:4–6 (King James Version)Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.